Wind, rain and cold couldn’t keep Hollywood away from New York’s Museum of Modern Art on Thursday night. The museum’s 18th annual Film Benefit, presented by Chanel, honored Steven Spielberg, and the guest list looked like the credits of a film history class.

Here is a look at who turned out, what happened inside and why the evening mattered for one of the world’s most important film collections.

A night for Spielberg

The November 12 gala was dedicated to Spielberg, whose career stretches from “Jaws” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” to “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan” and his 2021 “West Side Story.” MoMA announced him as this year’s honoree ahead of the event.

According to The Associated Press, Spielberg used the occasion to reflect on how little his love of filmmaking has changed, saying he still feels the same enthusiasm he had as a boy making 8mm home movies.

Who walked the (wet) red carpet

The weather was the talk of the arrivals line. Showbiz411 described a nor’easter rolling through the city, with many guests photographed in winter coats and raincoats instead of the usual bare-shouldered gala looks.

The guest list was stacked. Showbiz411 reported that attendees included Spielberg’s wife, Kate Capshaw, along with Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Michelle Williams, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Pfeiffer, Spike Lee, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Stephen Colbert, Jeff Goldblum and Drew Barrymore. A photo of De Niro, Spielberg and Scorsese standing together was one of the most shared images of the night.

Tom Cruise was also there to pay tribute. Cruise and Spielberg made two films together, “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds,” and a clip of Cruise praising the director circulated widely on social media.

Tributes and a song from “West Side Story”

The AP reported that tributes to Spielberg came from Emily Blunt, Steve Martin and Martin Scorsese, among others, each speaking to a different side of his work and his friendship.

The musical moment of the evening came from Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, who won her Academy Award for Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” According to Showbiz411, DeBose sang “Somewhere” from the musical, a fitting nod to one of the director’s more recent films.

Why the benefit matters

Glamour aside, the Film Benefit is a fundraiser with a real purpose. Proceeds support MoMA’s Department of Film, which helps pay for film acquisitions, conservation and public screenings. MoMA’s film collection is one of the most significant in the world, and preserving older films, many of which exist in fragile formats, is expensive, specialized work.

Honoring a filmmaker of Spielberg’s stature also shines a spotlight on that mission. Few directors have done more to shape how audiences experience movies, and few are as vocal about the importance of seeing films on the big screen.

A packed season for Spielberg

The honor caps a busy year for the director, whose film “Disclosure Day” was celebrated with an after-party this spring. Even after five decades of filmmaking, he remains one of the few directors whose name alone can sell a movie.

The takeaway

MoMA’s 2026 Film Benefit had everything a great Hollywood night needs: a legendary honoree, a room full of A-listers, heartfelt tributes and a showstopping song. The rain may have changed the fashion, but it didn’t dampen the mood. For one night in Midtown Manhattan, the people who make movies gathered to celebrate the man who has made so many of the ones we love.

Image: Free movie theater seats, close via Rawpixel, CC0 1.0